Disclaimer, A post heading of "Got a nice rack? Willing to share?" is a working grabber heading, we hope it can be effective without being offensive, it may have a male member standing next to pallet racking, or maybe not. Your input is welcome.

As you likely know we have a great deal of additional space to build out for our use. As you may also know the groups finances are rather taxed from the accquisition and need to increase our member count to pay the rent etc for this new space.

In order to take advantage of the new space, and actually use it as an asset to encourage new members to join, a group of us have been kicking around the idea of an "adopt an item" program. In the interest of coordination, and keeping our heads out of our asses, we are working with the space planning commitee, and want to get broad member input.

General goal:This is an infrastructural build out, tools are not the focus, we'll incorporate the poll results that spoke to members wants as they fit this type of build out. To reiterate, the plan is not to equip the Hack Factory in a meaningful way, but to pave the way for future new tools and capabilities. It's not the glamorous shiny mill or large 3D printer, if it was a city this would be the utilities, sewer and water.

Infrastructural needs categories:

Storage - Racking, shelving with totes and / or locking storage for member tools and projects, rolling stairs for access.

Power distribution - Equip the space with distributed power for bench and hand tools, prep the space for large equipment (220 single phase and 3 phase)

Shop air - A large air compressor, air drier, and piping to supply air drops for use through out the shop spaces. Ideally a large compressor rated for continuous use and multiple simultaneous users.

Rest Room / changing facilities - Nice to have more, but they are pretty scary.

ProcessThis is a work in progress, and where we'd like input and support. If you have access to, or can convince others to, donate needed items, or in some cases skilled labor by licensed persons, that would be very helpful, chime in here to start.

If we need to buy it, we intend to shop auctions, and perhaps craigslist for deals on these items. Implicit in this approach is a certain amount of understanding and latitude from the donors, as we can't know exactly what you'll be buying, it might be a 5HP compressor, it might be 10HP. The pallet racking might be 15' tall it might be 10'.

This approach should be much more cost effective, but requires more sweat equity in return, we may need to drive to a far flung city to collect a 2000 pound pallet racking set we won on relatively short notice. If you can help with transportation and logistics that's a huge benefit, please let us know. Folk's with flexible schedules that aren't afraid to get a bit dirty we need you, if you've got a truck or trailer to help or that you are willing to loan, we need you too.

Of course the heart of the effort relies on funding, we have experienced tremendous support in raising funds to take on the new space, now we've got it and we need funds to make it useful to support the making we all believe in so strongly. We are consulting with the treasurer on how to best support this fund raising project. We are hopeful that we can allow donations to a specific category. (I.e. here's $100 bucks towards a less frightening bathroom)

That in a nutshell is the basic plan. We feel that a space layout that has had member input, and a reasonable amount of support is a required first step. We also need to see the survey results, and have time to understand them. We don't want to slap things together, and certainly don't want to buy anything that won't be used. We also don't want an empty space for the whole summer, yeah it's great for a Rave or shooting range, but we don't think that will best support the member drive.

It's a do-ocracy peopleThis started with normal, well perphaps not normal, lets say regular members wanting to get the unglamorous stuff done to build out the expanded space in a flexible, open ended way to support a broad range of future activities. If you only do electronics for instance, and wonder what's in it for me? Well good question, benches to build on, air cleaners, restrooms, parts and project storage, and power all are goals. We also hope you might expand your interests, maybe take a class, or have an awesome build idea that might need tools you don't normally use, it's been known to happen.

If you hate this idea, that's fine too, help us improve it, or succinctly tells us why it's doomed to fail. I only ask that this thread stay about this topic. Tell me I'm evil or that a disco floored hot tub is more important in a PM or another thread.

John had misplaced his computer, but I helped him measure a few sections of the space and he'll be updating a drawing of layouts to discuss. Auction wise I'm thinking that the next auction from Hoff Hilk is in Winnona, which is really too far to haul big stuff, but it seems to me that it would be a good way to get ball park prices on items we are looking for, so I think I'll identify items we'd be interested in and see what they end up going for.

John had misplaced his computer, but I helped him measure a few sections of the space and he'll be updating a drawing of layouts to discuss. Auction wise I'm thinking that the next auction from Hoff Hilk is in Winnona, which is really too far to haul big stuff, but it seems to me that it would be a good way to get ball park prices on items we are looking for, so I think I'll identify items we'd be interested in and see what they end up going for.

Pete

So the dry run auction is winding down, these are what items we might bid on for the expansion equipment project (in future auctions) went for, understand that every auction is different, so these are just recent price points. The auction itself was in Winnona so I'm not sure if that caused prices to be lower than if they had been closer to the metro?

At any rate here's updates on the winning bid prices on. Compressors, Racking, and Rolling Stairs.

A sand blaster would be lovely, but is not the focus of this campaign. The idea is to prep the space for what's to come, people, tools, and activities wise. I think a phase II, anchor tools and toys campaign would be great for the Fall or Winter to get the objects the members / perspective members are most interested in.

I just got word that this rack was available for the whopping sum of removing it from its current location. If someone is able to provide transport I can help get the stars aligned if folks are interested.

Rack.jpg (125.11 KiB) Viewed 4076 times

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